48 Comments

Great stuff. Been looking around for a while now because I didn't know if I should rather opt for a Maschine or a DAW. You made things crystal clear for me with this video explaining which tool to use in which step of the production process. Thanks so much!

I much prefer MPC pattern recording personally. its quick and simple and a person can always string those patterns together later. the Yamaha Motif has pattern recording as well. which makes it a favorite keyboard of mines because of that similar way of working.

Use Maschine in standalone, and not have to worry about any templates or mapping. Assuming you have a Mac, use the IACDriver to control Logic's tracks/instruments via MIDI. Then when you're ready, drag the MIDI and Audio from Maschine to Logic. This gives you the same feel of using a hardware box like an MPC without having to worry about certain controls (i.e. the transport controls) changing. And this works with ANY daw, immediately, without having to set up any type of templates.

This is the quickest and easiest way I've ever been able to use Maschine. However, this Logic Pro template is interesting.

I appreciate that point of view… I'm thinking about buying a Machine Studio… I come from FL Studio working linear like you say… I want to get out of music production as a whole… takes up too much time of my life that I dont have anymore… I'm trying to focus on other things… last year I got the Kontrol S5 I wanna move into the DJ performance type of things where I can just pick p and go… grove easily and make music on the go….

You just explained exactly how I feel about this topic. I just don't have the patience for the boring copy and paste workflow of DAWs. I have used them for the past 10 years and just found my love for the MPC. Its like night and day and I definitely FEEL my way through beats just like you said.

You can integrate your groove box by using midi sync , I use my MPC 4000 , Reason Block mode and even a different computer running Emu X3 all at the same time recoding into the MPC or reason depending on the part

Finally some one on my side , a lot of cat don't realize u can link up your MTC to your DAW , along with your Grooves Box , change sounds at a later date , u got to use it all, I have been doing it since 1984, the old with the new I'm at home on a Groove Box. thanks for video.

Finally! A grooveboxer…..i got maschine 1 and was recording to a rascal digital recorder. I sold my maschine 1 to upgrade to the maschine studio and Im thinking about using Reaper or Cubase as my DAW (strictly for recording, mix, and master with vocals)….any thoughts on these 2 DAWS? Which is better with Maschine?

you said that well.. that's the exact truth..I started with a mpc2000xl in 97.. then I was taught ableton ..if they havent started on a groovebox it's kinda hard to understand the essential need for sequences and tracks..(by the way, it wasn't easy to learn a daw coming from hardware

Good points but u can do a lot in maschine studio . Not just record patterns . I have played guitar and bass over beats live . And did some live beats so it doesn't sound repetitive its a lot more than just a groove box . I'm sure the Mpc is too . U just have to explore .

gd info i use a keyboard controller wit a daw but i get fustrated with it sometime i think faster then i can put it in to action i hate having to keep looking at the computer clickn draging etc i like standalone hope they start making more hybrids

I wish Grooveboxes export patterns into wav / aiff and midi files. I just don't understand why manufacturers don't add that feature? Exporting content created on Grooveboxes and keyboard workstation in the above formats is a better integration solution than having hybrid systems like Mashine, MPC Renaissance / TOUCH. Grooveboxes are for creating vibes and the DAW is for Arranging and Structure.DAWs are great but the constant (CPU's OS and DAW wares) updating and the Authorization of plug-ins protocols, leave a desire for a better system. Grooveboxes and Workstations are stand-alone "COMPUTERS" in their own right. I also don't understand why these Pro Audio manufacturers don't create their own independent standardize computer audio OS? I'm tired of these BIG BROTHER boxes wanting to know what time I take a dump in the morning. I'm tired of my DAW crashing for no real reason. The industry really should break away from APPLE and MICROSOFT and create their own Computer systems for audio.

I know i'm old but this software stuff just don't cut it with me. in terms of sound and ease of use. I still prefer a MPC 1000-2000xl. a Yamaha Motif which to me is excellent sounding and is just as simple as a MPC. some of these DAWs don't even have pattern and real time recording. some just have step recording. which I never use.

Hey man this makes a lot of sense really appreciated what you had to say. One question. I'm considering buying one of these groove boxes but wondering if there's a way to get a groove box style workflow inside logic. Purely to save money, broke as lol. Wondering if I could get the same type of functionality as a groove box just using the pads on my midi controller.

Yeah, spot on. I've never heard anyone break it down as smoothly as this. I left the groovebox style workflow (RM1x & MC-909) years ago because the sounds couldn't compete with software and the options were too limited, but the workflow is so much more fun.

It's been ages since I recorded & I'm looking at kitting out a brand new studio around NI gear.

My question is do you have full control over plug-ins like Massive, Razor and Absynth directly from the Maschine? Essentially can you compose your track within Maschine then export it seamlessly into Ableton to grant you increased manipulation options in that linear workflow?

Can you smash together your beats across all your plug-ins using the Maschine then effortlessly transport to your DAW?

Maschine is cool but it has issues. NI really needs to change the arrangement in maschine that shit sucks. Which is why I got logic but I'm hoping in the future they make maschine more like a full daw.

Just trying to figure out any decent workflow…. waiting for Amazon to get here with maschine, so mine is a noob question: How are you going to apply parameter automation across a song without dropping everything back into the daw? I mean when you want to use automation to create a pattern that's one thing, but when you want to open up a filter while the pattern repeats itself, then what?

Many moons ago, I abandoned my beloved MPC to work strictly in Logic. I've always missed the workflow of the MPC, as I found the linear way of working in DAW to be less productive / inspiring. So I picked up a Renaissance recently, but still struggled with how to integrate it into my system. After doing some research, I came to a sad realization that there is no real "perfect" answer. But the idea of your template, along with the MPC's new way to drag-and-drop files, offers hope. I'm looking forward to trying this out.